After the recent string of films, hearing that a film is set in Madurai raises visions of raw, violent films with multiple heroes. Kullanari Koottam sets itself apart from the pack by setting a gentle love story in Madurai. The romance and the action parts of the film aren't blended too well but do stand well on their own, ensuring that the film as a whole also works.

Vetri(Vishnu) is an MBA graduate who hasn't found a job yet and depends on his dad for his daily expenses. A mix-up when recharging his dad's cellphone brings him in touch with Priya(Remya Nambesan) and the two soon fall in love. When Vetri asks for her hand in marriage, Priya's dad lays down the condition that Vetri should become a policeman. That's a big problem for Vetri since his dad hates policemen.

Director Sri Balaji was previously an assistant of Suseendran and he follows the approach his mentor followed in his debut in Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu by moving the movie forward with an undertone of comedy. While its the oft-seen Madurai kusumbu(showcased very well in the scenes where Vishnu goes to get his cellphone recharged) that contributes to the humor in the first half, the camaraderie between friends that keeps us smiling even after the focus shifts to action.

The romance has an interesting start with the mix-up and the scene at the train station, where Remya surreptitiously watches Vishnu and decides to pose as the girl he is looking for, provides a nice snapshot of the change in her feelings. Their characters make the romance down-to-earth and believable and it is also developed well with small moments like Vishnu pointing out the members of his family and Remya inserting herself into his family photo, keeping us smiling. The contrived way that Vishnu's dad's loathing of policemen is showcased gives us a hint of the roadblock their romance would face but the way the particular scene unfolds is still interesting.

Its not just the location that changes when Vishnu goes to Chennai. The film's storyline itself shifts almost completely away from romance as Vishnu starts going through the police selection process. Though the empathy he generated in the romance is no longer there, Vishnu manages to make us root for him as he gets ahead with both determination and talent. But then the film takes one more turn and becomes more ambitious as he also has to take on corrupt authorities who have a personal agenda. These segments are handled quite simplistically and this includes the climax.

Playing the naive, good-natured role comes easily to Vishnu and he is definitely more comfortable in that role than he is as an action hero. Remya Nambesan matches him in being sweet and though the romance between them is low-key, they share nice chemistry. Vishnu's family members are down-to-earth and manage to go beyond being caricatures since they play an important part in his life.